The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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Columbus external payloads SOLAR and EuTEF were installed during the STS-122 mission a few days after the Columbus laboratory was attached to the International Space Station.
The European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF), a programmable, fully automated, multi-user facility with modular and flexible accommodation for a variety of technology payloads, was mounted outside the Columbus module. It carried experiments requiring exposure to the space environment and was returned to Earth in September 2009 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-128.
SOLAR, studies the Sun with unprecedented accuracy across most of its spectral range. This is currently scheduled to last two years. SOLAR is located on the Columbus External Payload Facility zenith position (i.e. pointing away from the Earth).